For what it is worth.........I have friends who have two males that they have declawed. What I have noticed is that while playing with them, if you scratch a spot they don't like, instead of swatting at you with their paws - THEY BITE!! AND HARD!!
A cat scratch can heal fairly rapidly, but a bite is another matter. Personally, I would never consider declawing my cats, but again, that is just my personal opinion. Patches is an older female, and stays in the backyard during the day for a short time. I can keep her claws trimmed. Rascal on the other hand was an outdoor cat until I adopted him. He loves to roam the neighborhood and I keep his claws long so that he can fully defend himself. I am working on getting him to stay home more.

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